"Tell parents that VIPKID are firing their child's favorite teachers for missed classes. Let the parents decide who will teach, not VIPKID"
If the teacher is missing classes... then he or she is deciding NOT to teach...regardless of what the parents decide
n response to Re VipKids in China (Tiffany)
Not sure where you got this information. I am definitely African American and had no problems getting a job or staying fully booked with VIPKID. I am in a group that represents VIPKID teachers of color and there are several thousand people in the group that actively teach. Oh, and by the way...you MUST have at least a bachelors degree and some sort of teaching experience to even be interviewed. I am sorry, it sounds like your interview did not go well. But please get you facts straight about who they hire.
Oh my God, have you blown Tiffany out of the water or not? She should either apologise (as I have done a couple of times when I've made an arse of myself) or take issue with you. Is I right or is I right?
Tell your story on WeChat.
Tell parents that VIPKID are firing their child's favorite teachers for missed classes. Let the parents decide who will teach, not VIPKID
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Well, I agree it is up to the chinese who teaches what and where, but given that even folks from parts of the UK or antipodean countries have unintelligible english I actually feel that standard american english as spoken by your average chinese or other east asian citizen is a lot easier for younger chinese to understand. Northern and scots dialects are a bit too harsh for their ears, and I found one had to revert to a colonial sounding british accent, whip them all into shape so to speak, what what, all good fun, lol
Not sure where you got this information. I am definitely African American and had no problems getting a job or staying fully booked with VIPKID. I am in a group that represents VIPKID teachers of color and there are several thousand people in the group that actively teach. Oh, and by the way...you MUST have at least a bachelors degree and some sort of teaching experience to even be interviewed. I am sorry, it sounds like your interview did not go well. But please get you facts straight about who they hire.
No they do not hire non-white people. In fact, all of their coaches are white as well as their representatives. Not too mention that majority of them do not posses any formal degrees of higher education therefore they are bias towards non-white persons and quite racist!
Bit annoying for the non-whites but the whites shouldn't knock it I suppose. I gather this vipkid outfit is an important football or basketball training-centre which employs many coaches? Pretty strange actually because there's lots of blacks who do well in both of those sports and would look the part, whereas in teaching English...maybe not. Either way it's up to the Chinese who they employ for sport or teaching alike- not our business.
No they do not hire non-white people. In fact, all of their coaches are white as well as their representatives. Not too mention that majority of them do not posses any formal degrees of higher education therefore they are bias towards non-white persons and quite racist!
I am a British teacher, fully trained and qualified teacher in the UK and i re-qualified in
Hong Kong to gain local quals as well, i Have a PGDE in TESOL, a Masters In TESOL and a
CELTA and I have been working here on the Primary NET scheme for 10 years, and
previously worked in China with primary ages learners as well.
It appears that your PGDE, MA TESOL, CELTA, and NET have resulted in certification interaction that has caused your ADHD.
Well interestingly, though i couldn't find the criteria on their Website, their demographics seem even narrower than i first thought.
I am a British teacher, fully trained and qualified teacher in the UK and i re-qualified in Hong Kong to gain local quals as well, i Have a PGDE in TESOL, a Masters In TESOL and a CELTA and I have been working here on the Primary NET scheme for 10 years, and previously worked in China with primary ages learners as well.
I got refused at application ( not interview) the only real other information on the form was my nationality. I have heard though from other Americans that it is solely this demographic they want, and on paper i can't really see how i can be refused ( i may be horrible on interview or at teaching but on paper
up to them i guess, but not sure they should be recommended by global bodies or corporations.
I applied as an option to keep mind ticking over when i leave Hong Kong but for those who have recommended and even work for them could you advise if you are from North America or Canada or if other nationalities are indeed working for them.
Just curious
Even some of their students are more qualified than their recruiters. Very bad English and no respect at all.
So much of your posting is not correct.
There is a contract for each teacher and it has a pay rate. The .50 or $1.00 is a bonus per class for the teachers that teach more than a certain number of classes each month.
The orange shirt is required, but it is a t-shirt and sold at craft stores for $2.50 or goodwill for even less.
A lot of information is shared in the interview; and much more in the contract they give you upon hire for review.
The inbound transfer fee for your paycheck will vary by Your Bank. VIPKID can not control what your bank charges. Some banks charge $0 some charge up to $12 I believe it is.
The company is not American or Canadian; there are cultural differences, but that is to be expected.
When a class is cancelled it is clearly posted in your schedule or on the ap - just sign on and see. You are paid 1/2 for the cancelled class.
Just wanted to chime in with some details .. I am a VIPKID teacher and have enjoyed the experience very much. I like the schedule flexibility and learning about a new culture. The students are wonderful.
I'm a 47 year old teacher who has been employed at VIPKID for over 2 months now, long enough to decided whether I like it or not, and whether or not it is a scam. Yes, I like it for the most part. They are not a scam, but I can see where it might not work for everyone. I don't understand where all the crappy reviews are coming from though. I have no problem getting bookings, I don't cancel classes because I am professional so I stick to my schedule and show up for class.
The first month I made $700+ dollars; the second month I made $1500. I have no problem teaching over 70 classes a month to get the bonus money. I have over 10 years of teaching experience in the public school system and I prefer teaching at VIPKID to that, if you must know, although I made a lot more money at public school teaching but that was all I did, I had no life. I'm serious about making a career out of teaching online and VIPKID is my first venture into it and so far I'm impressed, and pleasantly surprised. I think many of you sound like haters.
No one is paying me to write this review. This is honest and true, but believe what you want. Of course it remains to be seen, it's only been 2 months but it gets better every day.
Well stated. They are full of themselves. I've noticed many of their recruiters don't last
long teaching for VIP.
Well stated. They are full of themselves. I've noticed many of their recruiters don't last long teaching for VIP.
I agree. Don't believe any of the hype you see on other sites. I'm pretty sure all these great reviews are written by their employees at the main office.
While they imply you will be making a certain amount during the interview, that is not guaranteed as two of those dollars are based on getting to class on time (if any IT problems come up, you don't get that dollar) and teaching over 45 classes a month. If you teach 30 classes a month, you will get .50 cents for each class. If you work any less you will not be paid. You will also only be paid for your training after the 6 month contract, which is pretty ridiculous. None of this is told to you in the interview.
You are required to have a bright orange shirt to wear while you teach, so if you don't have an orange shirt, or you simply can't afford to buy one yet, then you will be endlessly hounded for this. There are multiple videos from VIPKID of teachers online not wearing orange, so I'm not so sure about this policy or why they're ok with posting videos of teachers not wearing their "uniform." You will also be told to buy many things for your classroom to make it look like an "educational tv show."
Interacting with employees is also pretty stressful as they are either short with you or very critical of your performance, from day one. They do not give positive feedback, only negative.
Note that $12 will come out of your paycheck every month because the money is being transferred from a foreign account. They do not tell this to you in the interview.
Many classes get cancelled without your knowledge and you are only paid half for these classes. If you are teaching Trial Classes, which are classes with students who are considering entering into the program, over half of them will be canceled. If you have only taught 15 minutes of the class and the student has an IT problem, depending on the type of class you're teaching, you will also only be paid half.
You will be considered an independent contractor with this company, so you will have to remember to save a portion of your paycheck every month so when tax season comes around, you're not caught off guard. Also note that you are self-employed, and you will be taxed at a higher rate.
Hey There Cindy!
Yes, you do have to pay your own taxes. You can file them quarterly if you choose. Just visit the IRS website for further details. Good Luck!
Do you have to pay your own taxes for the money you earn from this company?
Hey there did you get an answer yet? I have an international acct too. Thailand not Taiwan
Hi Alexis, This is a bit of a tangent but I can't find the answer and you seem like you might have the experience to know. Can you get paid with a foreign (not American) bank account? I'm American but live in Asia (Cambodia now but soon moving to Taiwan it looks like) and will soon be applying for VIPKid. I'm on a short, rare visit to America now and in planning ahead could set up an account while here but would rather not if I don't have to as it would be more convenient to be paid into my local bank.
Thanks!
Kristel
I live in CST and work 8 am to 5 pm. Weekends are fine but Im wondering if Ill be able to get the hours I need thank you
Thanks for such a great positive note! I'm really needing summer work and this seems like it would fit very nicely.
I finished my 6th class teaching for VIPKID last night. My experience is completely opposite from what you had. I am extremely impressed with VIPKID. Everyone I have interacted with has been kind, professional, and lighthearted. Their training videos and documents are comprehensive and clear. The pay is great and my students have been wonderful.
- Kevin
Is there a phone number to call with questions. How do they schedule the class's can to 3-4 in row instead of spread out though the day?
I love working with VIPKID! I've been with them for a year, I get paid on time, communicate with wonderful teachers from around the world and just enjoy a new form of teaching. It's been a great addition to my current full time Vice Principal position. I highly recommend applying if you're thinking this might be for you!
Hi Mell, my name is Alexis, and I've been working for VIPKIDs for over a year. I assure you, 100%, that they will do nothing with your bank info except pay you. I've been a teacher and a practicum evaluator, the ways of evaluating teachers for bonuses has changed (for the better) and I have never ever had cause for concern about my account information. Ever. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Hi Misty,
My name is Alexis. I'm a practicum evaluator for VIPKID. I'll tell you that while teaching techniques are important(they take up the most space on our teacher evaluation form), equally important is both energy and time management. One of the biggest problems new teachers have, no matter how wonderfully qualified they are, is keeping a lesson within time and spending the most amount of time with the hardest material. This is actually one of the biggest reasons teachers are asked to do a second practicum. Not because they aren't qualified, but because they need practice with online teaching. Will you fail the practicum without time management? NO. but time management is integral into a teacher's preparation for the lesson. It affects the teaching strategies you put into place and the material you emphasize. I'm not joking that I used to prepare my lessons by planning the slides down to the minute. It gets easier with practice, though. If you have any questions about the practicums then feel free to email me. Have a good one!
P.S. I'm writing this on my phone and didn't check for spelling errors, so please forgive any typos.
This is a paid political announcement if there ever were one.
I am selling the Brooklyn Briidge cheap. Any takers?
Hi Jay,
My boyfriend and I are both current teachers at VIPKID. My boyfriend is African American and has run into the same "selectivity" issues throughout his years of ESL teaching (we both used to live and teach in Thailand). However, he has had a great experience at VIPKID for the past 6 months. In fact, he is a very popular teacher and always has his available time booked. He has never been asked to shave his beard, cut his dreads, or anything related to his appearance (which was a major problem when we lived in Thailand). It seems as though the head office really values diversity and works hard to promote those values to the families that join VIPKID. I hope that helps! Please feel free to email me if you have any more questions/concerns, and I'd be happy to put you in touch with my boyfriend as well.
Best,
Katie
Hi all,
I have been teaching with VIPKID (not VIPKIDs) for the past 8 months, and I hope I can help put some of the fears/speculation to rest. I am a fully certified teacher in the U.S. who used to work at a well-respected international school in Thailand. I discovered VIPKID last summer, when I was looking for some extra work to fill my time. My experience was so good that it led me to quit my full-time job. And yes, I make just as much money working part-time for VIPKID as I did working full-time at my school in Thailand (around $1,500 USD/month).
In regards to the application process: yes, it is time-consuming. Yes, it can sometimes be frustrating when there are technical issues or when trying to communicate with a company that is 12 hours ahead of you. However, I can assure you the process is 100% safe, fair, and worth it in the end. And, in fact, I think the hiring process is what makes VIPKID stand apart from other online companies. VIPKID is committed to hiring experienced, qualified teachers so that parents are assured quality lessons.
VIPKID is a highly professional company, and to call it a "scam" or compare it to fake schools in China is just absurd. The numbers speak for themselves: over the past several months, VIPKID has experienced immense growth, recruiting thousands of new parents/students and hundreds of teachers (all of whom are happy clients/contractors). The company has also won several awards for innovation and teaching quality in education.
If you have any more questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me by email.
Hi,
I just started working there and i would say all of these negative comments are rubbish. I was nervous applying after reading things on this board but decided to anyways. Everything is as they say. I am hoping for more classes as I only get about 5-10 hours scheduled a week so far and some are cancellations (which are paid 50% for trial) but it seems like a good company (i also have a full-time job so i'm not available all of the time anyways). I'll have to see how it goes as time goes on.
Hi Shelly,
I am currently applying and wondering if you have any suggestions for passing the practicum?
I've read all of the information and am currently watching the videos for pratice tips and suggestions.
Hopefully I get accepted
Kindest Regards,
Amanda
I work for them- have had decent reasonable tutoring job experience...mostly good -some adjustment to new company and as any job some for me to make as well. In answer to your question I have seen no evidence of discrimination at any level. I work with teachers from all over world all with differing races, cultures, nationalities and beliefs. I hope this helps
No passport needed...they also accept drivers licenses
Hey I read your response. Do you know if you must have a passport? I don't currently have one.
Hello,
I had the same thoughts, but I still applied. I am at stage 5 in the application process (practicum stage).
After looking through their FB page and other videos, I see that they do have a diverse group of teachers.
I will let you know if I make it through the practicum stage.
All the best!
Hello,
I have read through this thread and am considering applying to teach for VIPkid. I would like to know if anyone has information about whether the company hires non-white qualified native English-speaking teachers. I'm African American and have years of experience teaching in Asia, so I know how school's tend to be "selective" in terms of how they want their teachers to look.
I'm not here to argue whether it's wrong or not (it is indeed wrong, and I've spent a lot time bringing awareness to this issue), but I'd like to know if I should even apply if it's just going to be a waste of time.
Do any teachers of color have experiences--negative or positive--with VIPkid that they'd like to share?
Thanks in advance.
Be careful with and a little wary of VipKids, China. They require a video intro., short biography, and passport copy to even apply. The initial interview always goes super well. I think the Recruitment team is trying to fill their department queue to the maximum with portfolios, if this is true. It also takes time for them to evaluate your application, and their multiple means of communication (Skype, email, application account you have to set up) don't get back to you consistently sometimes: you have to check with both of the Recruitment and Ed. departments to be certain that their very short time limits for each stage don't elapse. I fell through the cracks the first time.
The Education Team that follows up on your approved application gives training. But this consists of watching 7-8 hours of videos and skim reading 2-3 hours of reading materials and previewing song tapes. They are, after all, a kindergarten and primary grade school-age school. You have three days for this; sometimes 2-and-a-half (in my case). The the Practicum 1 you have to be brisk (1-2 minutes average) per slide. You also have to memorize their teacher guidance found in the captions at the bottom of most slides (because they appear very small on the VIPKIDS online classroom slideview, as do most things that crowd the page), or be very well prepared to cover their material and their phonics presentation system with its standard letter name/sound system.
If you don't perform splendidly on Practicum 1 (by practicing the teaching unit they supply you for several hours) or, quite possibly, are not found in their projected demographics for preferred teachers at that time (check their YouTube videos for the kinds of people they hire), they may try to weed you out in Practicum 2 by adding a special method or additional teaching requirements not found in their training materials. They did it with me. Still they praised me, recognizing all my preparation and knowledge of their materials and methods, but said I failed. You have to get their strict criteria right 85-90% of the time!
Basically, this is an online school that takes lots of applicants, asks 10 hours of self-preparation out of them, and then hires apparently very few of the applicants - maybe just their targets.
Hello all
I have my interview tomorrow with VIPKids and I am looking at what I should be looking at doing. I am a bit nervous because this is my first teaching interview. I do have 120 hr TEFL certification. I went out and purchased some Flashcards and a few props to use in my 10 minute demo time. Can anyone provide me with the kind of questions or what I need to expect or do to make sure I make it through. My only experience I have is with my Godsons who are 9 and 6, and my twin nephews who are almost 4.
Thank you in advance for any information provided.
Janine
Can you please provide information about the Practicum part of the interview process. I am thinking of applying to VIPKIDS. I have tons of experience teaching ESL to young students. If you could please describe in detail what is entailed to successfully pass the Practicum portion of the onboarding process. Thanks
Hello, can you please provide information about the Practicum part of the interview process. I am thinking of applying to VIPKIDS. I have tons of experience teaching ESL to young students. If you could please describe in detail what is entailed to successfully pass the Practicum portion of the onboarding process. Thanks
Hi I am a teacher with VIPKID and also a recruiter. Calling us a scam is ridiculous. While there are major gripes that are justified in the application process which is being worked on and has even improved in the last couple months, I have not met a single teacher out of the 200 or so that we have that is unhappy with the job itself.
Just because you did not get accepted does not give you the right to call the company a scam. Where is the scam? We pay for training and the actual pay is the highest in the industry for online child teaching. We never ask for any money from the candidate. We pay for the equipment our teachers use. We even pay for the t shirt you are supposed to wear.
It is pretty damaging to label a great job a scam because you were not accepted. It would be appreciated if you either removed your post or justified it with facts.
Shelly,
I agree with you that the application/interview/demo class procedure was tedious to put it lightly. From what I've been told, the company is aware of the problems and is implementing changes. I went through TWO interviews/demo classes but was eventually hired as a teacher. Since I began working for VIPKID, I've had no problems. I was paid for my practicum classes/training, I was paid for buying my "uniform" (orange polo shirts), I was paid for the equipment I would need to buy for teaching online (not including my webcam, PC, microphone, headphones.) Also, I'm paid on time each month, directly into my bank account without any arguments or "accounting errors".
In short, I feel that you are spot on saying that the application process for becoming a teacher is very difficult. What I can't agree with is calling the company a "scam". That implies that they are somehow taking advantage of you in some way. Other than the time you sunk into the application process, what did you lose? By that rationale, any company you interview with that doesn't hire you is a "scam". No?
Matt
Hey all,
Well I have had a different experience with VipKids. I applied in 11/2015 and was hired. I was afraid it was a scam as well. However, I received my first paycheck on time, wired to my bank account with no problems.
I've been working there for a month and so far, it's been pretty good. The only thing that has been disappointing is when trial students cancel at the last minute, you only get paid 50%. So, on a given day, I might have 4 major classes and two trials. If those two trials cancel, I only get paid half of the hourly rate for those, plus the full pay for the major classes whether they cancel or not. To be fair, that was all explained in the training.
Sometimes there are technical issues with the network connection, but that is to be expected, I guess.
It's been pretty fun for me personally, but I like hamming it up and being silly with little kids. I also like wearing pajamas to work and not having to commute. But if you are more low-key and prefer an older age group, this probably wouldn't be the school for you. Also, I have a graduate certificate and this didn't factor into their pay scale at all-- everything is based on an evaluation rubric that you don't get to see until after you take the evaluation. They don't seem to care as much about credentials as how entertaining you can be. That seems to be par for the course as far as my experiences teaching in Asian schools, though.
Hope this is helpful!
Vanessa
I was wondering about this company as well. There doesn't seem to be any information online about them, but according to their youtube videos, after you are hired they pay by direct bank transfer, meaning they want your account and routing information. This does not sit well with me...
If anyone has any first hand experience with them, I would love to hear it.
Hi Shelly, thanks for posting this. I was looking into applying with this company and found your post through a Google search. There doesn't seem to be many reviews from teachers who have worked for VIP Kids that I can find. I was hoping you could provide some more information about your experience? Did you interview in person or over Skype? We're you offered a position that you turned down? If not, what was their feedback to you? Could you elaborate more on why they need local teachers instead of foreign? Thank you again for posting this!!
Hey Guys:
I just interviewed at VIPKids today. What a nightmare!
Proceed with caution. I interviewed with a vary young woman who was quite rude. I could not take the experience seriously. I can understand Chinese parents wanting their children to experience native English speakers, but the expectations of this organization are just unrealistic. They really should have local teachers working with young kids prior to having native English speakers interacting with them. In my opinion, this is a money grab by a business person, and native English speakers will be taken advantage of. Interview with sincere caution.
Shelly